Uprooted Palestinians are at the heart of the conflict in the M.E Palestinians uprooted by force of arms. Yet faced immense difficulties have survived, kept alive their history and culture, passed keys of family homes in occupied Palestine from one generation to the next.

Saturday, 8 August 2015

Commentators on modern Jewish history are often puzzled by the animosity of secular Jews toward gentiles. Particularly puzzling is the scale of Jewish ‘revolutionary’ violence towards Christianity and churches in particular.
It is no secret that Bolshevism set many churches ablaze. The International Brigade followed a similar pattern in Spain (1936). It is an established fact that Yiddish was the lingua franca of the International Brigade that was formed following a tidal wave of Church burning by the Republicans. That act of barbarism didn’t seem to deter the salt of the Jewish Left who rushed to liberate Spain in the name of the ‘International’. And yet, historically, this kind of barbaric act was never associated with rabbinical Judaism.

Apparently, this is not the case anymore. In the Jewish State, Orthodox Jews do burn churches and they do it in the name of the Torah and in accordance with their interpretation of the Jewish religion. In an unusually brave article, Ynet revealed yesterday that, Bentzi Gophstein, the head of Lehave, an Orthodox Jewish organisation dedicated to preventing assimilation in the Holy Land, said that he unquestionably supports burning churches and ‘houses of idolatry.’ Gophstein further stated that church burning is a legitimate act under Jewish law. The right wing activist made the statement during a summer seminar in Jerusalem.
The seminar panel included prominent rabbis and political figures, and was led by Rabbi Abba Turetsky. During a heated debate surrounding the status of Christian churches in Israel that were labeled ‘houses of idolatry,’ Gophstein was asked, “Do you support burning churches in Israel, yes or no?” Gophstein replied that he did, citing a Maimonides ruling that churches should be burned. “Are you for Maimonides or against him?” he asked rhetorically
Rabbi Moshe Klein, who shared the panel, failed to present a Judaic counter-argument. He did attempt to persuade Gophstein to keep his thoughts to himself. “You are on camera and being recorded. If this lands in the hands of the police, you will be arrested.”

Gophstein answered, “That’s the last thing that worries me. I’m willing to sit in prison for 50 years (for telling) the truth.”
Later Gophstein denied the recorded reports and stated that he was merely quoting Maimonides as a part of a Halachic (Jewish law) debate. But the question remains open – is the animosity towards ‘Goyim’ a new Jewish secular phenomenon or is it truly embedded in Judaic thought? Is it Zionism that corrupted Gophstein’s Judaic thought or did Maimonides really advise his Jewish followers to burn ‘houses of idolatry?’

Wednesday, 5 August 2015

Saudi Defense Minister Mohammad bin Salman threatened to launch war on Kuwait after differences between the two Persian Gulf Arab states escalated over Khafji oilfield.

"Mohammad bin Salman threatened that his country would attack and occupy Kuwait, claiming that not only Khafji oilfield but also entire Kuwait is part of the Saudi territories based on historical documents," Middle-East Panorama quoted on Sunday intelligence sources of the Persian Gulf Arab littoral states as saying.

Kuwait has complained that the continued shut down of Khafji oilfield it shares with Saudi Arabia will incur huge losses Riyadh must compensate for in the future.

Kuwaiti Oil Minister Ali Al Omair in a letter to his Saudi counterpart Ali Al Naimi urged him "to take adequate measures to resume production at Khafji.

By keeping production and exports shut, Kuwait will incur huge losses which will be borne by the Saudi government for violation of the (50-year old) agreement and the 2010 operations agreement".

The sources referred to Salman's harsh reaction to Kuwait's claims, and quoted him as saying that "we saved Kuwait from Saddam's claws and now who is there to free it from our claws".

"Kuwait has no superiority over us and is a country stretched over a piece of land one-fourth of Riyadh," he added, according to the sources.

The field has been shut since October last year for non-compliance with new Saudi environmental standards. It is operated by Al-Khafji Joint Operations Co (KJO), a joint venture between AGOC, a subsidiary of state oil firm Saudi Aramco, and Kuwait Gulf Oil Co (KGOC).

Kuwait has reportedly taken the case to an international court of arbitration, making Saudi Arabia's young defense minister even more wrathful.

Before the closure, the Khafji field produced around 280,000 barrels per day to 300,000 bpd.
Saudi Arabia and Kuwait also share the Wafra oilfield, which has been shut since May due to operating difficulties. US oil major Chevron operates the field on behalf of the Saudi government.

The Syrian army and Hezbollah forces cut the defense lines of the terrorists in the town of Zabadani in Southern Syria on Sunday, surrounding them in a small area of two square kilometers.

The national military and the Lebanese Resistance seized control on Sunday afternoon over Al-Hikma neighborhood that is linked to the Jerjaniya street east of Zabadani, and inflicted the takfiri groups heavy losses, including large number of killed and wounded operatives.

The army units and Hezbollah forces, meantime, purged the terrorists from al-Shalah region, and pounded the terrorists' positions in al-Nabu and al-Mahta regions. They also restored the Zayzoun thermal plant and the villages of Ziyadiya, Zayzoun and Marj al-Zohour located between Idleb and Hama countryside.

Moreover, the Syrian forces established control over the south-western countryside of Idleb province, following heavy operations that forced the "Al-Fath army" to flee the area, leaving weapons and ammunition in the place.

According to Fars News Agency, the terrorists of the Al-Nusra Front and Ahrar al-Sham are now under a full siege in the Syrian city.

On Tuesday, the Syrian army and Hezbollah purged terrorists from the Southern parts of Zabadani.

The Syrian and Hezbollah fighters pushed the takfiri operatives back from areas between two main squares in Southern Zabadani.

Tens of Takfiri terrorists were killed and dozens more were injured in heavy clashes with the Syrian troops and Hezbollah fighters.

The strategic town of Zabadani is located 45 kilometers to the Northwest of the city of Damascus in the Southern parts of Al-Qalamoun region adjacent to the Lebanese eastern borders.

The Syrian army and Hezbollah fighters started fresh operations to win back Zabadani over two weeks ago.

Russia may resume $1.6bn oil and gas projects in Syria

Russian business would consider resuming energy contracts in Syria worth $1.6 billion if the country manages to stabilize from its civil war, explains the executive director of the Russian Union of Gas and Oil Industrialists.

“If military actions cease and the situation becomes stable in Syria, Russian companies that have frozen their work because of the civil war will be ready to renew their activity within a short period of time in realizing projects that were signed before the crisis with a value of no less than $1.6 billion,” Gissa Guchetl said in an interview with RIA Novosti published Monday.

Last week, Guchetl met Syrian Prime Minister Wael Halqi and Petroleum and Mineral Resources Minister Suleiman Abbas in Damascus. The ministers were interested in loading the refineries in Banias and Tartous and stockpiling oil products for the winter.

Halqi and Abbas also offered Russian and Chinese companies the opportunity for further extraction in government-held territory.

The Syrian government thanked Russian engineering construction company Stroytransgaz, and oil producer Tatneft and other companies for their activities in the country, including maintenance work and the restoration of gas lines, damaged by terrorists.

R E L A T E D :

R E L A T E D :

(Putin said Europe needs to be less beholden to military blocs and the United States, in its foreign policy. He noted that Washington has been pursuing an imperial policy for a long time, which would hurt its interests and global image. The Russian leader also expressed hope that the green continent wouldn’t see another war in the future, adding he’s interested in resolving the crisis in Ukraine through dialogue and cooperation. Russia and the West are at odds over the Ukrainian conflict that has claimed the lives of at least 65-hundred people since 2014).

European countries should be less beholden to military blocks and the US when considering issues concerning their own national interests, Russian President Vladimir Putin told the Swiss RTS TV channel. Putin also talked FIFA scandal and Islamic terrorism.

“It would be great to see Europe show more independence and sovereignty, and the ability to stand up for its national interests – the interests of its peoples and countries,” Putin said in an interview with RTS published on Monday.

He added that he “hopes” another war in Europe is not in the cards.

The Russian leader added that a certain level of sovereignty is undoubtedly lost when joining any “any military-political organization [or] military-political bloc.” Putin noted that “France withdrew from NATO in order to preserve its sovereignty to a greater extent than would have been possible had it been part of the organization,”referring to the French withdrawal from NATO in the 1960s. France fully returned to the military bloc only in 2009.

Monday, 3 August 2015

Two 17-yo Palestinian boys shot dead by Zionist forces

Two 17-yo Palestinian boys were shot dead by Israeli forces in separate incidents amid clashes in the West Bank incited by the death of an 18-month-old child in a suspected Jewish arson attack on a Palestinian village.

Laith Fadel al-Khaladi, 17, was reportedly shot in the chest by an Israeli sniper near Bir Zeit, north of Ramallah in the central West Bank. The teen later died from his injuries at a hospital, the Palestinian Ma’an News Agency quoted medical sources as saying.

Al-Khaladi is said to have been shot during anti-Israeli protests in the area, sparked by the deadly “price tag” attack in Kafr Duma.

Six other Palestinians were injured in clashes erupting during arson-related protests in the West Bank and Jerusalem on Friday, Haaretz reported.

One Palestinian was shot in the leg during protests in the West Bank city of Hebron; four others were wounded after police resorted to tear gas and rubber bullets against about 30 stone-throwers in the city of Halhul. One more Palestinian was injured with a rubber bullet in Kfar Kadum.

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Another 17yo shot dead on Gaza border

Earlier in the day, another Palestinian teen, 17-year-old Mohammed Hamed al-Masri, was fired upon by Israeli forces in north Gaza. He sustained gunshot wounds to the upper body and later died at a hospital.

Masri had approached the border fence west of the Beit Lahia area along with other Palestinian youths to join the protests of the deadly arson attack, Haaretz cited Palestinian sources as saying. One other person was wounded in the shooting, receiving non-life threatening injuries, a Palestinian medical official told AFP, a French news service.

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Meanwhile, Israeli settlers were targeted by Palestinians in the southern Hebron Hills community of Beit Hagai, the Jerusalem Post reports. Dozens were evacuated because of a brush fire allegedly started by Palestinians. Thirty people received medical treatment for smoke inhalation.

“Every Israeli is now a legitimate target,” Hamas said earlier on Friday calling for “day of rage” in response to the Palestinian toddler’s killing.

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The Friday attack also caused international condemnation with UN chief Ban Ki-moon saying that the absence of a peace process and Israel’s illegal settlement policy had sparked violent extremism by Jews and Palestinians.

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Suspected Jewish extremists threw a Molotov cocktail through the window of a Palestinian home in the village of Kafr Duma near the West Bank city of Nablus in the early hours of Friday. Eighteen-month-old Ali Saad Dawabsha was killed, and his brother and parents were seriously injured in the resulting blaze.